Dante's eyes narrowed as he focused on the holographic display projected from his custom PDA. The SNITCH drones—small, nearly invisible surveillance orbs—hovered in the air, relaying live feeds from multiple angles.
A convoy of Mogadorian vehicles was approaching fast, their black armored trucks kicking up dust as they sped toward the base.
"We've got incoming," Dante announced, his voice calm but firm. His fingers danced across his wrist-mounted interface, zooming in on the footage. "Four trucks, heavily armed. ETA—less than three minutes."
Maggie clenched her fists, her mind already reaching out through her technopathy. "I can try to jam their comms, maybe even disable their engines."
Hilde, standing beside her, pulled out her blaster rifle and checked its power levels. "Do it. We'll handle the rest."
Katrina smirked, raising her own modified blaster. The weapon's glowing blue core pulsed slightly, ready to fire. "Let's make this quick. We don't need those bastards interfering inside."
Maggie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her mind surged through the digital pathways, her consciousness syncing with the Mogadorian convoy's onboard systems. She could feel the electronic pulses, the signals running between the vehicles and their command hub.
Then—she struck.
One by one, the dashboard screens of the Mogadorian trucks flickered and glitched, static overtaking their communications channels. Their engines stuttered as Maggie wove her influence deeper into their circuits.
The first truck skidded violently, its systems shutting down completely.
The second truck veered to the side, its onboard targeting HUDs failing as the Mogadorians inside scrambled to regain control.
The third and fourth pushed through, their drivers manually overriding the systems—adapting.
Dante raised his blaster pistol and exhaled. "Looks like they're not stopping."
Hilde took aim. "Then we stop them ourselves."
Quickly, everyone took their positions, weapons ready. But before they could engage, Maggie stepped forward, standing directly in the path of the incoming Mogadorian convoys.
Tires screeched. Engines roared.
Dante's eyes widened. "Maggie! Cover her!"
Katrina and Hilde immediately raised their blasters, taking aim at the Mogadorians inside the trucks, while Dante targeted the tires and engine blocks.
But Maggie didn't flinch.
She thrust her hands forward, and instantly, a pulse of pure vibrational energy exploded from her palms.
BOOM!
Spreading wide as a pulsing ripple of energy emanated from her palms. The air around her warped like heat waves, a visible distortion forming as she tapped into her vibration manipulation.
The ground trembled.
The approaching Mogadorian trucks wobbled, their tires skidding as the vibrations disrupted their balance.
Maggie took a step forward, her eyes glowing faintly with focused intensity. Concentric shockwave rings pulsed outward from her hands, spreading like ripples in water. The first truck—already weakened by her technopathic sabotage—completely lost traction.
BOOM!
It flipped onto its side, metal screeching against the pavement as it slid to a halt. The Mogadorians inside were thrown violently against the interior before they could even react.
The second truck wasn't so lucky.
Maggie's next shockwave pulse hit it dead-on. The force rippled through the vehicle's frame, shaking it apart from the inside. The windshield spidered with cracks, and suddenly—
CRASH!
The entire truck exploded outward, its internal structure failing as the energy tore through it. Mogadorians were sent flying, some hitting the ground hard while others barely managed to roll into defensive positions.
The last two trucks, their drivers more experienced, pushed through the tremors, speeding toward the base.
Dante smirked, already aiming. "Not today."
PZZT! PZZT!
He fired two quick bursts from his blaster, the blue energy bolts streaking through the night. One shot pierced a front tire, causing the third truck to veer violently. The other struck the exposed engine, igniting a small explosion that sent Mogadorians scrambling to abandon the vehicle before it crashed.
The final truck—the only one still functional—was now dangerously close.
Hilde and Katrina rushed forward, their blasters humming to life. The Mogadorians poured out, weapons raised, dark armor glinting under the moonlight.
Maggie wasn't done yet.
She clapped her hands together, sending a final, concentrated shockwave that rippled through the air. The Mogadorians nearest to her staggered, their equilibrium shattered by the seismic disruption. Some collapsed, struggling to remain standing.
Katrina took advantage of the opening. She dashed forward, her blaster glowing, and took them down one by one—efficient, calculated shots.
Hilde, her own weapon at the ready, covered Dante's flank. "Maggie, that was insane."
Maggie exhaled sharply, her chest rising and falling as she steadied herself. Her hands still buzzed with residual energy, the air around her fingers faintly shimmering. "I can't use it continuously," she admitted, shaking off the lingering vibrations.
Dante smirked, adjusting his blaster, his eyes scanning the wreckage. "You did amazing. I am sure Conrad would be proud. Now, we'll finish the rest."
Maggie smiled hearing her adoptive father's name.
While Hilde and Katrina moved forward, flanking the remaining Mogadorians who were still struggling to recover from the shockwave. A few were trying to get to their weapons, but before they could react—
PZZT! PZZT!
Two quick, precise energy blasts from Katrina took them down.
Dante stepped forward, switching his blaster to rapid-fire mode. He didn't hesitate—three well-placed shots, and the last of the Mogadorians were down for good.
Maggie, still catching her breath, watched as her team efficiently cleaned up what was left of the enemy forces. Despite her exhaustion, a sense of satisfaction filled her—she had held her own.
Katrina glanced at her and smirked. "I'd say that was a hell of a warm-up."
Hilde grinned, holstering her weapon. "And here I thought you were just a tech genius. Turns out you're a wrecking ball, too."
Maggie chuckled tiredly. "Guess I like to keep things interesting."
Dante gave her a nod. "Come on. We're not done yet."